For years, Dana Genheimer has connected with families and reviewed Kids’ Chance scholarship applications from students whose lives were forever altered by a workplace tragedy. And no matter where the family comes from, the story always begins the same way.

“A parent got up, went to work — and by the end of the day, everything had changed,” said Genheimer, a longtime Kids’ Chance of North Carolina volunteer and past national board president of Kids’ Chance of America. “As a working mom in the workers compensation industry, I know that accidents happen every day and this could happen to anyone.”

Those stories and the students behind them are what drew Genheimer deeper into the mission of Kids’ Chance. From offering volunteer marketing support to Kids’ Chance of North Carolina and supporting a charity golf tournament to serving as a state delegate and later national board president of Kids’ Chance of America, Genheimer has championed the mission of Kids’ Chance. That dedication and commitment are also the reason she is being recognized as the 2026 recipient of the Robert M. Clyatt Distinguished Service Award.

To be presented at KCOA’s upcoming National Conference in San Diego, the Clyatt Award recognizes individuals whose leadership and dedication have significantly advanced the Kids’ Chance mission of providing scholarships to the children of workers who have been seriously injured or killed on the job.

For Genheimer – a workers compensation focused executive with Berkley Technology Services, an internal service group of Berkley – the recognition represents far more than a personal milestone.

“Kids’ Chance has given out more than 11,000 scholarships across the country to kids of injured workers,” she said. “And it would not have been possible without the vision and the tenacity of Bob Clyatt and the work he set forward.”

She added that receiving the award reflects the collective efforts of Kids’ Chance advocates across the industry and country.

“This award really represents all of those volunteers who are willing to help and provide support through the skills that they bring to the table in an effort to make us stronger together,” Genheimer said. “It’s just a true honor to be recognized and aligned with the work that Bob Clyatt set forward.”

One of the most significant milestones during Genheimer’s 2022-2024 term as national board president was achieving the long-standing goal of having a Kids’ Chance organization in all 50 states. But reaching that milestone, she emphasized, was only part of the journey.

“Ensuring sustainability is even bigger than getting there,” she said. “The help of Kids’ Chance volunteers, donors and advocates is ultimately critical to ensuring that our work continues.”

Because behind every scholarship application is a life-changing story — and an opportunity to help a student build a brighter future.

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